Ohio train derails, explodes, evacuation is set for one mile radius VIDEO
Part of a freight train carrying ethanol derailed and caught fire in Ohio’s capital city early Wednesday, shooting flames skyward into the darkness and prompting the evacuation of a mile-wide area as firefighters and hazardous materials crews monitored the blaze.
Photo/screenshot of helicopter video
A Norfolk Southern freight train derailed and caught fire in Columbus, Ohio, early on Wednesday, forcing nearby residents to evacuate, authorities said.
The 98-car train was carrying “mixed freight,” a spokesman for the railroad said. Local media cited fire officials as saying the train was carrying ethanol.
WFMJ reports 11 cars of a southbound train derailed around 2 a.m. Wednesday near Interstate 71, southeast of the Ohio State University campus. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, how many cars caught fire or what they contained.
A photographer who was in the area says he was more than 10 miles away in New Albany when he saw something illuminate the sky. He says he went to the scene to take photos and noticed a chemical smell in addition to the smoke.
A fire official says two people were injured, but no details were available.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
